


Five Times Peter was Tony’s Son and One Time Tony was his Dad

by prettyholland



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Angst, Dad!Tony, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Gen, Light Angst, Son!Peter, homecoming just gave me so many father-son vibes, i love this little family, just some good fluff, plus a little bonus chapter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-30
Updated: 2017-11-18
Packaged: 2019-01-07 00:58:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12222519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prettyholland/pseuds/prettyholland
Summary: Peter doesn’t understand how much Tony really cares for him, and keeps accidentally calling him “Dad” and not noticing. Tony notices every time, though, and it means so much more to him than he thought it would.





	1. Time For Dinner

**Author's Note:**

> Updates are every Friday :)
> 
> Here is the playlist that goes along with this story: https://open.spotify.com/user/hannahlikestacos/playlist/3agU14oZTd87kepQPLxGmR
> 
> Also hit me up on Tumblr to scream about Tom Holland and Spider-Man: zojnks
> 
> Translation into French by: ElodieTheFangirl

Peter was sitting, bored, in his sixth period class. Spanish is one of Peter's worst classes, yet he could never remember to pay attention, instead thinking about his latest escapades as Spiderman. Suddenly, he could hear his name being called.

"Mr. Parker, are you still here with us?" Señora Hernandez said.

Peter jerked his head in a quick nod, and then focused on the words on the board.

"Can you then tell us the English translation of the words on the board please?" His teacher asked.

Peter gave another quick glance to the words and then responded.

"Good morning. What is your name?"

His teacher looked displeased but accepted his translation nonetheless. She turned back to teaching the rest of the class, and Peter sighed in relief. A glance to the clock showed him that he had about 10 minutes left of class. Thank god.

-

Peter rushed out of school as soon as the bell rang, his binder and notebooks hanging out of his half-zipped backpack as he raced through the halls. He passed by Flash and was soon so far from him that he couldn't even hear the insult Flash shouted as he realized Peter had passed him. He was out of the doors before most of the school. He checked to see if anyone was watching, and then jumped the fence and raced over the field to the street. Finally, he slowed down and shoved his earbuds in as soon as he got a block away from the school. He had decided that he wasn't going on patrol tonight, as Aunt May had been on his ass about it, and he had gotten a bit hurt last night. Aunt May required him to take one night off a week, so tonight would do.

He massaged his ribs, wincing as he hit a particularly sore spot. This is what he had been dreaming about in Spanish, fantasizing what would have happened if he had instead kicked the robber after he had kicked him. The robber had gotten a good kick to Peter's ribs, and Peter was paying so much attention to the pain, that he didn't notice the robber racing out of the small jewelry store with a bag of stolen goods. Not one of his finest moments. He had been thinking about it since last night, absorbed by the thoughts of  _what if, what if?_ He'd been doing this for over a year now, he should be past this.

Suddenly, Peter was pulled from his thoughts when his spidey sense went off, alerting him to the expensive black car that had been tailing him for a little while. He slowed down a bit, and so did the car. As Peter began to turn around to confront the car, it sped up and stopped in front of him. 

Happy got out of the front and walked to open the door for him.

"Get in, kid. We didn't want to ambush you at school, so we followed you for a bit."

Peter climbed in and realized Mr. Stark was also present in the car, flicking through stuff on his phone in the seat in the back with Peter. He hadn't seen Mr. Stark since Aunt May had called him over and shouted at him for hours. Mr. Stark had wisely stayed clear since that fight. It had been a couple weeks, and if Peter was to be honest, he had kinda missed him. He was glad he was here, but was also worried about what Aunt May would do if she found out.

Mr. Stark seemed to read his mind, and quickly assured Peter he had already cleared everything with his aunt.

"With all the stuff that went down after the little Vulture incident, we never got to properly celebrate your victory, kid! So, I'm taking you to dinner at this little Italian restaurant that I love, and we can have a little celebration, you and me," Mr. Stark told him.

Peter's eyes went as wide as saucers as he took in what Mr. Stark was saying. Dinner? Just the two of them? If this wasn't Peter's biggest dream, he didn't know what was. And, to make it ever better, they were celebrating  _Peter's_  gigantic accomplishment!

"Uhh... this is the most awesome thing ever, Mr. Stark!! This is even better than Ned's Lego Death Star!" Peter told him excitedly.

Mr. Stark smiled at that, and then just ruffled Peter's hair. Soon, they were pulling in front of a small, but fancy Italian restaurant. Nothing too much, so they wouldn't be getting too much publicity. Happy dropped them off, then drove away as Peter and Mr. Stark entered the restaurant.

"Stark, reservation for two," the billionaire told the serving girl, who couldn't have been more than 19 and who looked like her whole life had been made because she was showing Tony Stark to his table. Peter just followed with wide, puppy dog eyes, drinking everything in.

They sat, and Mr. Stark got a Coke, while Peter got a lemonade. Then, the two began to talk as the bread and salad arrived.

"So Peter," Mr. Stark said in between bites of salad," That was a pretty ballsy thing you did a couple weeks ago. Thank you, by the way. I don't think I ever got the chance to say that to you. Because of you, all my stuff is safe and out of evil's hands."

Peter blushed and stammered out a response."Ohhh, it was no-nothing, Mr. Stark, ya know, all in a day's work and all that!"

Mr. Stark smiled and took another bite of his salad.

"It wasn't nothing, kid. You've got the purest heart out of every superhero I know, and I know enough to fill the entirety of Queens. That was an amazing thing you did back there, and I'm sorry that I took away your suit- your best method of protection."

Mr. Stark grimaced at that last part, but quickly schooled his expression.

"All I'm saying, kid, is that you deserve that spot on the Avengers more than any of us do. But you did the right thing, you know, turning it down. I'm proud of you, kid."

Peter blushed and said a quick "thank you".

"Now, tell me all about what you're doing in science and on the Decathlon team."

-

Peter had absolutely adored dinner. First of all, the actual food was amazing. It was the best Italian food Peter had ever had (no offense, May), and Peter had been sure to tell Mr. Stark that. The billionaire had just laughed and asked Peter if he wanted some dessert. Second of all, it was so awesome that Mr. Stark had actually cared to hear about Peter's life. He had been attentive the entire time Peter had rambled and had asked questions and seemed to like hearing about Peter's boring school life. Lastly, it was just so cool to hang out with Mr. Stark when it was just the two of them.

Peter had started to feel tired as soon as they had left the restaurant. Now, they were in the back of Mr. Stark's Audi, with Happy in the front, screen up. Peter had been trying to pay attention to what Mr. Stark was saying, but he hadn't caught maybe the last minute (or three) of their conversation.

"Peter, hey, Peter," Mr. Stark said as he shook him awake,"It's okay if you're tired. Try to rest, okay? God knows you don't do enough at home."

Peter just mumbled sleepily, then plopped his head on Mr. Stark's shoulder. He was too tired to be embarrassed.

-

Tony had just told the kid to get some rest when the kid dropped the biggest bomb on Tony  _ever_.

"Thanks for tonight, Dad. This was the best thing that happened to me all week."

Then he dropped his head on Tony's shoulder. Tony tensed, but then relaxed and started to run his fingers through Peter's hair.

Peter had mumbled it sleepily though, and he probably wouldn't even remember it in the morning, but the fact that he had said that meant so much to Tony. Tony was trying so hard with this kid, and this just showed him that the kid was appreciating it. Tony was determined to be there for Peter more often, to talk to him more, pick him up from school, help with science and math, do just about anything for the kid. The incident with the Vulture had terrified Tony more than he let on- he just felt so damn guilty and relieved at the same time. Guilty that he had taken the suit from Peter, and relieved the kid was still alive. So now, Tony was more committed than ever to believe in the kid and help him achieve his dreams.

"FRIDAY?" He asked his A.I."Can you save the audio recording of the conversation we held a few moments ago?"

"Sure, boss," the A.I responded.

Tony smiled, and wrapped an arm around Peter. This kid was going to be the death of him, but he would enjoy the ride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this! I just love this fandom so much, and I really wanted to contribute something. This story is going to be like 10k-12k words, and all I have left to write is the bonus chapter, so updates will be scheduled. Expect an update every Friday!! Also, kudos and comments are deeply appreciated, and you should check out the playlist I made for this story, which is linked above!


	2. The Lab

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates are every Friday :)
> 
> Here is the playlist that goes along with this story: https://open.spotify.com/user/hannahlikestacos/playlist/3agU14oZTd87kepQPLxGmR
> 
> Also hit me up on Tumblr to scream about Tom Holland and Spider-Man: hannahlikesholland

A couple of days after Mr. Stark had taken him out for dinner, Peter received a text during third period from him. Peter had been half asleep on his desk when he felt the buzz, and he had jolted awake to read it.

_Clear your schedule, kid, you're coming to the lab. Already cleared it with Aunt May._

Thank god today was not a decathlon practice day, as MJ would have his head for missing another practice. Peter pocketed his phone before his teacher could see it, and was wearing a giant grin (partnered with sleep deprivation) for the rest of the day that had even Ned ask if he was high.

-

As soon as the bell rang, Peter rushed out of Spanish to the front of the school, bursting through the doors to see Tony's bright orange Audi parked right in front of the school. Peter quickly ran to it, looking left and right constantly to see if anyone from his school could see him entering it. He had a reputation to keep, after all. However, since Peter had been out late on patrol the last couple of nights and been assigned a bunch of essays, he was also kinda (read: a lot) tired. He arrived at the car and slipped in quickly, not really paying attention to what he was doing.

"Ummm... Hey, Mr. Stark," he said as soon as he realized that he had accidentally sat in the passenger seat. And- an even bigger surprise- Mr. Stark was sitting in the driver's seat. Peter's heart caught in his throat as Mr. Stark looked up from his StarkPhone and looked at him through his dark sunglasses (at least Peter thinks he was looking at him- those sunglasses are way too dark).

"Hey, kiddo, finally decided you're old enough for the front seat?"

Peter let out an awkward laugh and stammered out a response.

"Uhhh... ya know... haven't been getting too much sleep lately, but it's fine, Mr. Stark, I can totally move to sit in the back, it's-"

"Fine, kid. It's fine. Besides I need some company up here, huh. What do you think about some AC/DC?"

Peter just gave another laugh and nodded, happy to be with his idol, just enjoying himself.

-

They reached the lab without any complications. They were at the lab at the compound, now that Mr. Stark had sold Avengers Tower. Peter had been to the compound a couple of times, but this would be his first full lab experience. Mr. Stark had told him on the way over that they would be making some adjustments to both the Iron Man and Spiderman suits. Then, they could just play around in the lab and do whatever they wanted to with the left over time.

Peter was extremely psyched at the prospect of getting to touch an actual Iron Man suit. When they got to the lab, he was quickly given a rundown of the rules of the lab. Peter was kinda half-listening though, but he thought he caught most of the important rules. He was so excited (and tired) that he could hardly find it in him to pay attention to what Mr. Stark was saying.

They finally got to work, looking over the Spiderman suit first.

"Kid, do you have any ideas about what to add to the suit? I know you must have a bunch of ideas rattling around in that big head of yours."

Peter blushed and said,"I was thinking...Ummm...it's just an idea, Mr. Stark, so you don't have to agree, but...Ummm-"

"Just spit out kid, you know I'm not going to judge you," Mr. Stark said fondly.

Peter blushed even darker, and then finally told Mr. Stark his idea.

"What about making some corrosive webs? Like, ones that could, ya know, like, eat through metal and stuff like that?"

  
Mr. Stark's face lit up at Peter's idea.

"And, well," Peter continued," I already have some ideas for how to do that, like maybe add an extra cartridge full of the acid into the web shooters, stuff like that, ya know?"

Mr. Stark began to excitedly talk about everything they could do with that, and how Peter was brilliant, and how much he appreciated Peter's brilliant ideas. And Peter? Well, Peter just let out a giant sigh and let a smile come over his face because even if he's known Mr. Stark for a while now, they haven't hung out much, and Peter was still really nervous around him. But, Peter was also Spiderman, and as both Peter Parker and Spiderman, he could never let anyone know he was nervous (or scared or sad or any type of negative emotion really). (But everyone kinda always knew anyway).

- ~~~~

They had been working in the lab for a couple hours, and Peter was just getting progressively more tired as time wore on. But he hid it well, so Mr. Stark was jumping from this part of the project to the next part of the project, and they were almost done with his new corrosive web shooters.

Mr. Stark had taken control of most of the project by now, and Peter didn't really care. Mr. Stark was at one of the lab tables, fiddling with the cartridges they were going to put the acid in. He had multiple screens around him, and every few seconds he was shouting out commands to FRIDAY or moving something around on the screen. Peter was content to just sit on the couch and watch his mentor work, fascinated by Tony's endless intellect and perseverance. Every time Peter came to the compound, or even just interacted with Mr. Stark, he thanked all of his lucky stars for letting his life be this cool.

-

"Hey, Peter, ready to try out these new corrosive webs?" No response.

"Kid? Kid, are you ready?"

Tony turned around to see Peter passed out on the couch, head back on the pillows, hair splayed out around him. Tony just smiled and set the web shooters back on the table.

"FRIDAY?"

"Yes, boss?"

"Text May Parker that Peter can stay here tonight and I'll have Happy drive him to school tomorrow."

"Of course, boss," the AI responded with a hint of amusement in her voice.

Tony walked over to Peter and grabbed him, pulling him bridal style into his arms. He walked over to the elevator and had FRIDAY take him up to the level that contained the Avengers' rooms. When he had offered to Peter the option of becoming an Avenger, he had already had a room made up for him. It was painted in various shades of red and blue, and covered in Star Wars and science posters. Tony had also made sure to include all of the latest Stark tech, including the newest version of the Stark Laptop, and StarkTV. He had also hooked up Peter's own AI, Karen, to help in his room rather than FRIDAY. Tony walked into the kid's room and set him down on the Star Wars bedsheets.

"Mr. Stark?" The kid asked sleepily.

"I'm here, Peter. It's fine, we've been working in the lab for hours. Go to sleep, I've already told Aunt May that you're going to be staying at the compound," Tony said fondly, smiling at the exhausted kid below him.

"Thanks, dad," Peter responded, immediately falling back asleep.

Tony felt his heart squeeze a little at that, and a warm feeling overtook his entire body.

"'Night, kid," he said, turning out the lights as he left the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading!! Kudos and comments are appreciated. Updates every Friday!


	3. Peter’s Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has some angst in it, but only a bit. Hope you enjoy!!
> 
> Updates are every Friday :)
> 
> Here is the playlist that goes along with this story: https://open.spotify.com/user/hannahlikestacos/playlist/3agU14oZTd87kepQPLxGmR
> 
> Also hit me up on Tumblr to scream about Tom Holland and Spider-Man: hannahlikesholland

Peter was having a dream. And he knew it was a dream too, he _knew_ , deep down. But that knowledge didn't stop the aching of his chest, the slowing of his breath, the quickening of his heart, and the thoughts rushing through his head.

He was in his room.

_Water was dripping on his face. He couldn't breathe._

He was lying in bed.

_He pulled off his mask, inhaling smoke and dust. He couldn't breathe._

He was asleep.

_He struggled to move. Everything was painful. He couldn't breathe._

He was wrapped in his bedsheets.

_He was trapped under all the debris. His leg hurt. He couldn't breathe._

And suddenly, Peter couldn't breathe. He awoke gripping the sides of his bed, hard enough to crack the wood a little. Wait, what? Wood? Peter's bed was metal, not wood. Peter quickly sat up, still struggling for breath, and looked around the room he was in. He couldn't see well in the dark, but he could make out a large room with colored walls, and he was lying in a bed with... Star Wars sheets?

Suddenly, Peter's door swung open and someone hurried in. This just caused Peter's anxiety to flare up even more. At this point, Peter was taking in quick, short breaths that he barely even felt, and was almost going to pass out. His vision swam before him and his chest tightened painfully with each tiny breath. The person hurried to Peter's side, and Peter could just make out a goatee. Mr. Stark, then.

"Peter, I need you to ground yourself, okay? I want you to grip my arms, and then look around the room and tell me 5 things you can see and 3 things you can hear, okay?"

Peter blindly reached for Mr. Stark's arms, and then looked around the room in a frenzy. Mr. Stark suddenly began breathing slowly and exaggerated, expecting Peter to follow as he acted out Mr. Stark's instructions.

"Ummm... I see my bed, a desk, a door... ummm, a Star Wars poster, and a laptop. I can hear... some birds outside, the machines working in the garage, and someone's TV playing... ummm, yeah."

Mr. Stark continued to breath exaggeratedly, but Peter also saw him nod his head a little. While Peter had been focusing on those things, he hadn't realized that he was actually following Mr. Stark and slowing down his breathing and heart rate. Peter had begun to breath almost normally again, and found himself able to focus just on Mr. Stark.

"Good job, Peter," the billionaire said. "Do you think you can go back to bed?"

Peter flashed back to the nightmare, to the feeling of being stuck, and shook his head. Mr. Stark just gave him a small smile, and then helped him out of bed.

Peter was still too shaken to notice the details of the room, the little quirks Mr. Stark put in to make it his, rightfully his. He was led out of the room by Mr. Stark, and his shaking hands didn't escape the notice of the man.

"What about some ice cream? We can have ice cream and watch some Star Trek?"

Peter nodded tiredly and followed Mr. Stark to the kitchen, when the billionaire opened a freezer to show Peter the dozens of ice cream tubs that filled it. Peter reached down wordlessly and grabbed a mint chocolate chip, then waited patiently for Mr. Stark to grab his coffee ice cream.

-

They headed to the lounge area, the private lounge that was near both of their bedrooms, and Tony turned on the TV and then told FRIDAY to play Star Trek: The Original Series. She began to play a random episode, but Tony tuned it out so he could focus on his kid- wait, sorry, the kid. He watched as Peter stiffened under his gaze, even as he gave a small laugh at something happening onscreen. Tony let him watch it for a minute though, as he wanted Peter to feel comfortable before he started poking around for answers. They sat in silence, eating their ice cream and watching the show. Finally, Tony turned it down a little and asked Peter what was on his mind.

"Nightmare?"

Peter gave a small nod. At least the kid knew it was okay to talk about this with Tony. Tony had made sure that after Germany and especially after the Vulture, that if Peter ever needed to talk about nightmares or whatever, Tony would always try and be there to listen. The kid had never taken him up on his offer, but hey, there's always time to try something new.

"Do you want to tell me what it was about? If you don't, that's okay, we can continue to sit in silence and watch William Shatner dazzle us onscreen."

Peter gave a tiny little chuckle at that, and turned to face Tony.

"It was just the Vulture. Ya know, when I went to fight him, to stop him from taking your plane, he dropped that building on me. I guess, I dunno, that things like that don't go away too easily or something?" Peter replied, sounding unsure and insecure about his answer.

"Peter, it's fine that that still comes up for you. That was a traumatic experience that would leave even me with nightmares. A whole building just dropped on you? And you made it out and stopped the bad guy? That something to be proud of, Peter, so don't let it control you. But, I understand, that sometimes you can't help but let it control you, so when it becomes too much for you like that, come talk to me, okay? If you're staying here, come wake me up, and if you're at home, call me. I'll answer and I'll get up, and we'll talk through it, okay? You don't need that giant weight hanging over you kid, you've got too much potential to let it waste you like that. Besides, without you, who else am I going to give Stark Industries to?"

Peter cracked a smile at that and leaned into Tony. Tony had gotten better at hugs and immediately wrapped his arms around the boy.

"It's just so much sometimes, ya know?" Peter said, holding back tears. "And in dreams like that, I can still feel the weight of the debris and taste the water and dirt in my mouth and-"

Peter cut himself off with a sob. Tony just held the teen as he cried, rubbing his back and whispering soothing things as he rested his head on the teen's.

-

Eventually, Peter ran out of tears, and became exhausted again quite quickly. Mr. Stark shook him awake.

"Peter? Hey Peter, I've got something to show you, wake up, okay?"

Peter yawned as he leaned up, but was quick to follow Mr. Stark back to his room.

"When I thought you were going to accept the offer of the Avengers, I had a room decorated for you. I picked out mostly everything, but you can thank Pepper for the walls and furniture. And it's your room forever now, okay, so don't go apologizing or whatever. It's always open for you to stay the night or the weekend," Mr. Stark said, opening the door and flicking on the light.

Peter stared in awe, struggling to wrap his head around the fact that Mr. Stark could care about him so much. Peter ran around the room, sadness and exhaustion forgotten, examining every poster and figurine that sat around his room. He gasped at the unopened boxes of Legos stacked on the shelves and the books that overflowed from them- books on chemistry, biology, physics, and everything else Peter might like. He tried not to die once he saw the bedsheets and laughed when he saw that the Milky Way had been painted on his ceiling in glow-in-the-dark paint. He was ecstatic when he saw that while it was not a bunk bed, it was a trundle, in case Ned was ever allowed to come over too. He also couldn't stop smiling as soon as he noticed that Karen was his AI and he had the latest Stark Tech and he had his own bathroom and closet and every other thing this place had to offer. This bedroom was everything Peter could have ever wanted and more. It truly made him understand that Mr. Stark cared for him.

-

And while Peter was still high in excitement, he might have let a "Thanks, dad!" slip in his endless stream of contradicting apologies and thanks.

Tony didn't though. Later, he asked FRIDAY if she could save the audio and visual from tonight on his drive. He only wished he could ask her if she could save this warm feeling he had been overtaken with too.


	4. Afterschool Pickup

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates are every Friday :)
> 
> Here is the playlist that goes along with this story: https://open.spotify.com/user/hannahlikestacos/playlist/3agU14oZTd87kepQPLxGmR
> 
> Also hit me up on Tumblr to scream about Tom Holland and Spider-Man: hannahlikesholland

It had been a couple days since Peter had stayed over at the compound. It had been a little awkward with Mr. Stark at first, but it kinda just brought them closer together. Today, though, Happy was picking him up from school and taking him to the compound so they could work on their suits and hang out. Peter went over on the weekends, and on Wednesdays and occasionally Fridays.

Peter glanced at the clock on the wall, silently wishing that his Spanish teacher would hurry up and finish whatever lesson they were on. He only had 10 minutes left of class before he could go to his favorite place in the whole world. Then, his phone buzzed.

_I'm outside, kid. Happy's day off today. You're sleeping over too. Don't worry, I'll drive you to school tomorrow._

Me. Stark was picking him up? And actually driving? This was a whole new level of caring from the billionaire. Peter knew that Mr. Stark hated driving in New York traffic, so this was a big gesture. He quickly typed out a response.

_Can't wait!!_

-

Peter ran out off the classroom and the doors of his school as soon as he heard the bell ring. Suddenly, however, just as he was nearing the curb, an arm swung out and stopped him, almost making him trip.

"Penis Parker," Flash crowed. "Headed off to another hot date with Spider-Man? Or another imaginary meeting with Tony Stark?"

Flash and his goons laughed, and then Flash was pushing him. Peter stumbled back, and then couldn't control himself any longer.

"Shut up, Eugene! You have no idea what you're talking about, and honestly, I think you hate me cause I'm smarter than you!"

Peter clamped a hand over his mouth after those words escaped, and began to shake as he realized Flash was getting mad. Like really mad.

"Listen here, you little-"

"Ah, Mr. Parker, time to go work in the workshop, remember?"

Peter gaped as Mr. Stark walked up, eyes half-hidden behind orange sunglasses.

"Uhhh, yeah, sure, ummm, yeah, let's go, Mr. Stark!" Peter squeaked out, still in shock.

"Ah, Peter, what have I told you, call me Tony. And you must be Flash. Peter has told me that you're first alternate on the decathlon team. He also told me you're an asshole. Have a good day!"

With that, Mr. Stark grabbed Peter's sleeve and dragged him towards his obnoxious orange Audi. Peter glanced behind him, and saw Flash staring slack-jawed at the two. Peter could practically see the birds flying around his head.

-

As soon as they entered the car, Peter began to spit out thank-you's and sorry's. Mr. Stark just told him it was fine and to drop it.

"We're headed to the compound, kid. We're gonna work on the suits for a bit, then you can work on your homework and we can watch a movie or something."

Peter nodded enthusiastically, and said "That sounds great, Mr. Stark!"

Mr. Stark just laughed and then asked FRIDAY to play some AC/DC. Then, he focused on driving, and Peter fell asleep with his head leaning against the window.

-

They arrived at the compound a little while later, and Peter bounded inside, dropping his backpack off on his bed and then heading downstairs to meet Mr. Stark. Mr. Stark was waiting in the lab, old t-shirt on and jeans that were stained with oil. He was fiddling with the Ironman suit and had AC/DC blasting in here. When he noticed Peter walk in, he turned down the music, and walked over to him.

"Okay, Pete, we're just gonna make some repairs on the suits, so give me the Spiderman suit, and we'll get to work!"

Peter handed him the suit and helped him make all the necessary repairs on both suits. They had to fiddle with his web shooters a bit and the repulsors on the Ironman suit, just to get them all functioning correctly. They worked perfectly together, Peter handing Mr. Stark the tools without him even having to ask, working through each project quickly and efficiently. This was one of Peter's favorite times, a time when he could just relax and have fun around his favorite person in the whole world. He could tell Mr. Stark enjoyed it too, because he was always more relaxed and laid back when it was just the two of them.

-

Tony had told Peter to head upstairs and start his homework a couple minutes ago. He was just finishing up a couple last minute things for both suits in the lab, and then would he heading up himself to see if Peter needed any help. Tony usually did this, and when Peter didn't need any help (which was most of the time, the kid was a freaking genius), he would start making dinner, usually something easy and Italian, like spaghetti or ravioli.

Eventually, Tony finished fiddling around with the last couple of things on the Ironman suit and headed up. He stopped off in front of Peter's room, knocking before entering. He walked in on the boy laying on his bed, reading stuff off of flashcards and mumbling to himself.

"Hey kid, need any help?" Tony asked politely.

"Yeah, ummm, Mr. Stark, do. you think you could help me study for this big decathlon meeting that's coming up? I need to get this done so I can work on my submission for the robotics fair- I rejoined the team recently, and I want to beat Flash."

Tony nodded, a big smile on his face as he sat down facing Peter on the kid's bed. Peter handed him the flashcards.

"Robotics fair, huh? And you didn't even think to tell me about this? You know Dum-E and I would have loved to help."

Peter was visibly uncomfortable as he told Tony, "It's not that big of a deal, Mr. Stark. It's just a little competition."

"Well, if you say so, kid."

But Tony wasn't about to drop this. He quickly pulled out his phone and added a new reminder.

_Call May about Robotics Fair._

-

Peter enjoyed studying with Mr. Stark. He always helped Peter when he needed it and gave him extra info on the things that Mr. Stark knew more about. Peter always came away with more knowledge than he entered with whenever he studied with Mr. Stark. This in turn also meant he was more prepared st decathlon practice, but less popular when it came to Flash. But Peter didn't worry about Flash right now, as the little stunt Mr. Stark has pulled earlier that day should get Flash off his back for a couple of weeks.

The two finished studying a while later, and Mr. Stark left Peter to work on his Robotics fair plans while he went to go make dinner. Peter was so absorbed in the process that it took FRIDAY reminding him three times that it was dinner before he got up.

Peter entered the kitchen to find two steaming plates of spaghetti and sides of garlic bread laid out on the kitchen breakfast island where they usually ate. Mr. Stark claimed that the dining room was for large group meals or special occasions, so anyone that stayed in the compound usually ate at the island. Mr. Stark was waiting, sitting at the seat across from Peter's wearing an annoyed smile on his face.

"C'mon kid, how long does it take to walk 500 feet. Especially with this superpowers, you'd think you'd be a little faster."

Peter just smiled and shook his head exasperatedly before plopping down into his seat and digging into the pasta.

"This is so good, Mr. Stark! Aunt May's pasta always tastes like garbage- but don't tell her I said that!"

Mr. Stark laughed and said,"Don't worry kid, I won't be spilling your secrets in front of your surprisingly scary aunt."

The two continued to talk and chatter throughout the meal, topics ranging from Peter's school to Mr. Stark's work to even the latest Star Wars movie that's supposed to be coming out. Mr. Stark promised Peter he would get tickets for the premiere for Peter and Ned.

Eventually, they finished their meal and after cleaning up, they decided they would watch the first of the Star Trek reboot movies. Peter was always a sucker for Chris Pine movies.

-

Tony got Peter settled in the lounge before he went off to fetch ice cream for the both of them. Mint chip for Peter and coffee for himself. He headed back to the lounge to see Peter cuddled up in one of the large blankets they had in there and the screen paused on the opening credits. Tony wordlessly handed Peter his tub of ice cream and then hit play on the remote.

The two sat watching the movie for a while before Tony's eyes started to get heavy. He hadn't been getting much sleep these past few days, working on the Accords and projects for R&D of Stark Industries. By then, he and Peter had finished their tubs, and they lay tossed to the side on the coffee table in front of them. Tony managed about 30 more minutes of the movie before he nodded off.

-

Tony awoke in the middle of the night. The clock next to him flashed 1:37 am. Peter was gone and so were the tubs of ice cream. Tony yawned and stretched up, eager to get to his bed. He noticed a small yellow sticky note lying on the table. He picked it up and read the writing.

_Hey, ~~Dad~~  Mr. Stark,  
I went to bed, but put away the movie and tubs of trash. You were passed out and looked like you needed to sleep, so I didn't wake you up to say goodnight. Hope you sleep well!_

_Love,  
Peter_

Tony smiled as he read the note, and the crossed out dad did not escape his notice. He could see the letter, even if Peter looked like he had scratched them out to all hell.

And if that note found its permanent place inside one of Tony's drawers, no one needs to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!! Kudos and comments are appreciated (they feed my ego) and don’t forget to check out the playlist I made for this story, which is linked at the top!
> 
> Also expect some MJ and Ned next chapter ;)


	5. A Trip to the Museum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates are every Friday :)
> 
> Here is the playlist that goes along with this story: https://open.spotify.com/user/hannahlikestacos/playlist/3agU14oZTd87kepQPLxGmR
> 
> Also hit me up on Tumblr to scream about Tom Holland and Spider-Man: hannahlikesholland

Tony sat down at his desk. He picked up the phone rubbing his eyes as the call rang. It rang and rang, but the person on the other line finally picked up. She sounded out of breath.

"Hey Tony," May Parker said.

"Hey, May. I just wanted to ask you a little question about Peter, but if you're busy at work, it's not a big deal."

"Oh, you know how it is, it's always a little chaotic and busy here. So, what's your question?"

"What's that Robotics fair that's coming up? Peter mentioned it but got a little defensive when I asked about it further."

May sighed. "Yeah, I had a feeling that would come up. It's a father-son competition and so Peter has to do it alone, you know, since Ben isn't here anymore. This is the first one since Ben's death, and it's weighing heavily on him."

Tony cursed under his breath, and then told May that he would most definitely be coming to help Peter at the event. She thanked him profusely and told him that that would mean the world to Peter.

Tony then ended the call and opened up his text messages.

_Hey kid, there's a new exhibit open at the American Natural History Museum. It's about robots and their different uses. Seems like something you and your nerdy friends would like. Happy'll pick you all up after school. Clear your schedule._

-

When Peter, got the text from Mr. Stark, he fell out of his chair in Chemistry. Everyone laughed, but Peter couldn't even find it in himself to care. Mr. Stark was going to take him, Ned, and possibly MJ to the ANHM for that awesome new exhibit on robots? And just in time for the robotics competition tomorrow night? Peter wondered if this was what heaven felt like.

Peter rushed to tell Ned and MJ after class, as the teacher had split up their lab group because they (him and Ned) kept talking too much.

They were both pretty psyched, Peter could tell, even if MJ didn't like to show emotion on her face. Peter was distracted for the rest of the day, and it was all they talked about during lunch.

Finally, afterschool arrived and Peter ran out of Spanish with Ned to collect MJ from her Advanced Photography class so they could all walk out together. Happy was outside with one of Mr. Stark's larger and less flashy cars. They piled into the backseat, with Peter in the middle. They began to chatter amongst themselves, and Happy had had enough after a couple minutes and closed the divider.

"This is so cool! Mr. Stark is so awesome to you, Peter!" Ned practically shouted, vibrating with excitement. "This is almost as cool as when we built the Death Star!"

MJ just gave a tiny smile at Ned's words. "This is pretty cool, loser. It's nice he does these things with you."

Peter nodded. "Mr. Stark's the best."

-

They finally arrived at ANHM a little while later. They parked to Mr. Stark's obnoxious orange Audi. He was sitting inside it, waiting for them. He was typing something into his StarkPhone when he spotted them. He quickly put his phone away and hopped out of the car as the kids piled out of the backseat.

"I've got it from here, Hap. You can go to the cafe or something," Mr. Stark told Happy.

Then, he pulled Peter into a side-hug, and motioned for his friends to follow them as he led Peter towards the entrance. They paid for their tickets and then headed to the special exhibit hall. As they walked, Peter told Mr. Stark about his day, with small interjections from Ned and even occasionally MJ. Mr. Stark listened like he always did, rapt and paying full attention, sometimes giving his two cents.

-

MJ watched as Peter and Tony walked ahead, contemplating their relationship. It was obvious that Peter cared for Tony, but less obvious that the billionaire cared about the boy. But MJ could tell, he saw the way he had embraced Peter, tight and warm. She could see the way he listened with his full attention, something she thinks he rarely did. She noticed how he seemed to know a lot about Peter, asking about Decathlon and Flash and Spanish.  Tony really did care about Peter, and it made MJ happy. Peter had lost so much, so it was good to see someone care about him who could give him as much as he could.

-

Tony watched as the kids ran around the exhibit. Peter and Ned were talking animatedly about every little thing, discussing and arguing. MJ walked a little behind them at first, but eventually caved and walked right beside them, pointing things out and giving little snarky comments of her own. Tony himself was actually very interested in the exhibit, and made note of cool robots so he could have some ideas for tomorrow. Eventually, they made it to the Stark section, where Tony had generously donated some of his old Ironman suits and other various robots he had built. Here, he explained in depth to the kids about all the robots and the suit. Ned and MJ couldn't hold in their fascination and asked lots of questions, but Peter mostly just smiled and occasionally interjected, but he knew most of what Tony was explaining already.

-

Eventually, they made it to the end of the exhibit. Ned almost fell to the floor when he saw the finale, which was a little ring where you could have robot fights. The robots were already built, but it was still going to be pretty fun. They made teams, Peter and Ned against Tony and MJ.

MJ immediately picked the best equipped robot, and Tony was impressed that she had seen that all of its characteristics would be beneficial in a fight. It had arms that would spring out and punch, a little electric shocker, and an arm that could reach out and pick up the other robot. Peter and Ned's robot had big, heavy arms, a battering ram front, and a little electric shocker too. Tony let MJ run the controls, but constantly gave her tips and strategies throughout the fight. Peter was piloting the other robot, and Ned was whispering hack and strategy after strategy into Peter's ear.

The little electronic referee counted down from 3 and then the fight began. Tony was cheering as MJ pushed their robot forward, and it stuck out its shocker and shocked the boys' bot. Peter rammed their big forward after MJ's attack and slammed into MJ and Tony's, causing some parts to fall off. MJ just smirked and pulled up close to the boys' bot, then unleashed a bunch of ravaging punches. Peter retaliated with swinging their bot's heavy arm into the sides of their bot after Ned had whispered into his ear. Tony winced as some more pieces fell off. MJ didn't seem worried though, and she pulled back a little, letting the boys come to them. Tony smirked as he realized what she was doing, and cheered even harder. The boys, however, thought they had this in the bag and did a high-five without looking at each other. Suddenly, MJ made their robot's arm shoot out and it picked up the boys' bot without a problem. Peter and Ned whined as she held it just above the ground, and far enough away that their shocker couldn't hit it. She wiggled it around a little bit, then dropped it back into the ring's floor. Then, just to rub it in, she and Tony high-fived each other without looking, matching smirks gracing their features. Ned and Peter's jaws dropped.

-

Peter was still mad about losing the robot fight and him and Ned were still complaining about it when they were leaving the building.

"But that wasn't fair! Our robot didn't even have a gigantic arm like that!" Peter whined.

"Sucks to suck, Pete," MJ said, smirking.

"Snooze, you lose," Mr. Stark retorted.

Peter just stamped his foot in frustration and then him and Ned kinda just forgot about it. Well, they forget about it after seeing the ice cream stand just a little ways down the block.

"Hey, Mr. Stark. Do you think we could get some ice cream? I'm sure we all deserve it after that hard battle," Peter pleaded.

Mr. Stark just smiled, and laughed a little. "Sure kid."

They got some ice cream (A King Cone Peter, a Ninja Turtle one for Ned, a lime popsicle for MJ, and a small tub of vanilla for Mr. Stark). Then, they walked to a neighboring park, and sat down at a picnic bench. There, they laughed and talked for another hour or two. Peter had the time of his life just hanging out with his two (best) friends and his mentor.

Finally, however, it was time to go home. They waited at the park for Happy and then chatted all the way to MJ and Ned's apartment building. Funnily enough, they lived in the same building, though neither Ned nor Peter had ever seen MJ there. Peter got out of the car to walk them to the lobby of the apartment building. They made jokes and talked about the exhibit the whole way across the street.

"You know, I know I already said it, but Mr. Stark is really awesome with you!" Ned said excitedly.

MJ gave a tiny smile, and said "He is pretty cool, loser."

Peter gave them a giant smile and said "Yeah, Dad is the best!"

MJ and Ned gave a small shocked expression towards each other, but then gave Peter knowing smiles. They knew Peter got excited easy, and he probably didn't even know what he was saying.

-

They said goodbye, and Peter left with Mr. Stark.

"Did you have a good day, kid?" Mr. Stark said.

"Yeah, it was the best day ever!" Peter said, then he leaned over and gave Mr. Stark a giant hug.

Tony melted into the hug, but he would never admit that if anyone ever asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys liked the characterization and interaction in this chapter!! Only one more before the special chapter! Also, I’ll be posting a special Halloween one-shot soon. It’s not related to this story, but it’ll be good, I promise!


	6. Father-Son Showdown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates are every Friday :)
> 
> Here is the playlist that goes along with this story: https://open.spotify.com/user/hannahlikestacos/playlist/3agU14oZTd87kepQPLxGmR
> 
> Also hit me up on Tumblr to scream about Tom Holland and Spider-Man: hannahlikesholland

Today was the day. Peter had been doing nothing all week during lunch, nutrition, and afterschool except scrawling all his ideas in his ratty, ripped up notebook. All his ideas had been blowing around in his brain, overtaking all his thoughts except one.

Peter needed to beat Flash and his dad.

Peter needed to show Flash that he was smarter than him, and that Flash needed to stop being such a jerk all the time. He just wanted all the bullying and embarrassment to stop. And what better than embarrassing Flash in front of all of their classmates and his dad, with no extra help?

Peter waited impatiently all day for school to end. He didn't pay attention in any of his classes and just kept writing and editing and diagramming in his notebook. Finally, the last bell rang and Peter ran out of Spanish, not stopping until he was out of the front doors and walking towards his apartment. He wasn't going on patrol tonight, as he needed his full attention on his robot. (Plus, Aunt May required he take one night off a week.)

When Peter made it home, he didn't even stop to say hi to May, instead grabbing an apple and heading straight into his room, closing the door behind him. He sat down at his desk and opened up his Stark Laptop, pulling up the rough schematics he had designed. They were going to be using VEX IQ robots to fight, so Peter had researched everything about them and focused solely on this project for the last month or two in robotics lab.

Of course, other people were going to be there besides Flash and his dad, like Ned and his dad and Abe and his dad. But, Flash was the only one who mattered. Both him and Flash knew that it would be them in the final round, as Flash was pretty smart, and they would destroy the others in the preliminary rounds. Peter had been working on this design for months, and now he just added some final touches before printing it out and then putting the papers carefully into the pocket inside his notebook. Peter then listened to some music while tinkering with his webshooters, calming his nerves until it was time for him to go.

-

Finally, it was 6:00. Peter was leaving now, as the competition started at 7:00 and wouldn't end until around 10:30 or 11:00.

"I'm leaving, May!" Peter called out.

May came hurrying out of her room. She fixed Peter's hair and kissed him on the head before wishing him good luck. However, Peter could tell something was up.

"May, what's wrong? You're acting all nervous," Peter asked, worried.

"Oh, it's nothing, Pete. Just go have fun and kick Flash's ass!" May reassured, still acting a bit off.

-

Peter arrived at school to see that the gym had been decorated for the event. He could see Betty and MJ hanging out over by the refreshments table, as Betty was here with her own dad to compete, and MJ was just here. The rest of the gym was decorated in their school colors, with pictures of robots all over and a large banner that read "Robot Showdown!".

Peter walked over to the registration table to get his station number. The gym was set up so that tables- so-called "stations"- were spread around a large ring in the middle, very similar to the ring that was at the exhibit that Mr. Stark had taken them to. Each station was stocked with every possible piece of VEX IQ technology and building blocks that each team would need.

"Hey, Coach Mac. I'm here to compete. It's Peter. Peter Parker," Peter told the uninterested coach.

"I know who you are, Parker. Are you alone? You know this is a Father-Son Showdown, right?" The coach replied.

Peter winced. "Yeah, I'm al-"

Peter was cut off by a giant slap on the back.

"Of course he's not alone. I was just in the bathroom. Ready to go, Pete?"

Peter turned around to see Tony Stark standing there, all dressed up in a suit and signature sunglasses resting on his nose. Peter made a little noise of disbelief, then turned back to the coach. Coach Mac was sitting there with his jaw dropped, eyes glazing over as he looked at Mr. Stark.

"So, can we, uh, get our station please?" Mr. Stark prompted the coach.

Coach Mac was startled, and then quickly shuffled some papers around, sliding them a couple forms and two pens as he mumbled apologies. Mr. Stark signed where he needed to, then motioned for Peter to do the same. Peter was in kinda the same boat as Coach Mac, still unwilling to believe his mentor had actually showed up to the competition. That Peter didn't even tell him to show up to. Peter knew Mr. Stark was a busy man, and him showing up meant so much to Peter. As they walked to their station, Station #8, Peter's chest filled up with a warm, ooey-gooey feeling because Mr. Stark was here, Mr. Stark was going to help him with his robot, Mr. Stark had an arm wrapped around Peter's shoulder as they walked.

They passed by Flash's table, Station #3, and Peter could see both Flash and his dad, Carl's, jaws drop. Peter only knew his name was Carl because each station had a small name card that listed who the station belonged to. When they got to their station, _Tony Stark_ had been scrawled in with pen underneath Peter's printed name. Peter turned to Mr. Stark as soon as he dropped his backpack onto the table.

"Ummm... Mr. Stark, not to be rude, because obviously I totally appreciate this, but, ummmm... why are you here?" Peter asked nervously, fiddling with the cover of his notebook.

"Kid, I knew you needed some backup on this thing, and you wanted to beat that Flash kid. So I'm just here for moral support and maybe some tips, but I know you've got it all planned out," Mr. Stark replied with an easy smile on his face.

Peter gave a small laugh and then asked another question.

"So it doesn't bother you, that like every other kid here brought their dad, and now people are gonna assume stuff, and it's gonna be weird, and oh god, it's gonna become a problem for you, I'm gonna be a problem-"

"Kid," Mr. Stark said gently,"You're never gonna be a problem for me, okay? I'm here because I want to be, but we'll talk about this more after we win, okay?"

Peter gave a small smile back, and then the two went to work getting the designs out of Peter's notebook and laying them out, along with Peter's notes, on the table.

"This is some really good stuff, Pete. We're gonna best Flash and his dad by a landslide."

Peter blushed at the praise, but also wore a giant smile.

After looking at the schematics a little more with Peter explaining the details, the two made their way over to the refreshments table, where Ned and his dad, Betty and her dad, and MJ were all hanging out.

"Ned, MJ, pleasure to see you again," Mr. Stark said.

"Hey guys," squeaked out Peter.

"Peter, you didn't tell us Mr. Stark was coming," Ned said with little subtlety as he elbowed Peter in the said.

"Sorry," Peter squeaked out again, at an Ben higher octave.

"Hi, you must be Ned's dad. And who is this?" Mr. Stark said as he shook Ned's dad's hand.

Betty blushed and introduced herself and her father, David.

Ned's father introduced himself as Eric Leeds, and MJ nodded at Mr. Stark before going back to furiously typing on her phone. Peter let out a small sigh of relief, thank god introductions were over.

Mr. Stark chatted with Eric and David for some time, both dads trying and failing to keep the awe and admiration off of their faces. Eventually, Peter tugged on Tony's sleeve to get his attention.

"Mr. Stark, it's almost time to start! We've got to go get ready!" Peter whispered urgently.

Mr. Stark bid his goodbyes, then they all headed back to their stations. Peter finished tidying up their papers, and then the robotics lab head teacher and Principal Morita came out to wish them all good luck and remind them of the rules and regulation. Then, the time started.

They had an hour and a half to build their robot. They began by gathering all the supplies that they needed and organizing everything. Then, they worked on putting together different parts of the robot, and then put it all together. Finally, Peter set up the wireless controls.

The robot had the claw arm on top, but also two smaller arms in front that were capped with some heavier block to punch with. It also had a sort of shovel attached to the front so that they could drive directly into another robot and flip it over. Peter was very happy with his design, and Tony was also very proud of it once he had seen the schematics.

Finally, the time was up and Peter looked around the room at everyone's bots. Ned's looked pretty cool, and Flash's looked formidable. But, Peter was confident he was going to win because not only had he been designing and perfecting his robot's design, he had also been working on perfecting his driving skills. He was now the best robot driver that has ever lived. (At least, that's what Ned told him).

-

They went through the preliminary rounds fairly easily, Tony noticed, as Peter didn't even seem to care as he effortlessly beat the other kids. Peter was insanely awesome at this, he must have been training. They beat both Ned and Betty, Betty towards the beginning and Ned in the semifinals.

But now, it was just the last two teams going against each other. It was them and Flash Thompson and his dad, Carl. Carl was a small man with a hairy chest and bad breath that reeked of alcohol. Tony did not like him or his son.

"Hey Penis Parker, what do you think Liz would say if she was here? Oh, that's right, she's not, because she ditched you by fleeing all the way across the country like you did to her on homecoming!" Flash taunted Peter.

Tony could see Peter's anger bubbling to the surface, and realized that them getting angry would just muddle their concentration. So, he laid a hand on Peter's shoulder and whispered that Flash wasn't worth it. Peter relaxed.

"Just go back to your station, Flash. No one wants your pathetic excuse for roasting right now," Peter said in a bored tone.

Flash huffed, and headed back to his station where his dad was waiting.

Peter's coach announced that they had one minute to finish any last minute repairs or additions to their robot, and Peter hurried through fixing one of the tires. They quickly hustled their way to the ring when they were finished, placing their robot in it and making sure the wireless remote control was connected. Ned and Betty, along with their dads, came over to their side to cheer them on. MJ lingered near the back too.

Tony smiled as he saw Peter do a couple breathing exercises to get ready for the competition.

"It's gonna be alright Pete, don't worry about it. Flash is an idiot, we'll crush him in no time!" Tony whispered into Peter's ear, rubbing his back.

Finally, the coach began to count down. When they hit zero, Peter immediately maneuvered their bot in front of Flash's so they could get some hits in with the arms. One, two, three hits. Some pieces fell off of Flash's bot, and Flash got angry, suddenly slamming his own bot into their's. Some of their own pieces broke off, but Peter shook it off really quick and focused on getting out of the way as Flash threw his own punches. Eventually, Peter got tired of the defensive and Tony saw the gears in his mind begin to go into overdrive. A couple more pieces had fallen off their bot, but none big enough to worry about, so Peter was still in a good spot. Peter gained on Flash's robot, and when Tony realized what Peter was going to do, he started to cheer.

Peter rammed their robot into Flash's and used the shovel on the front to scoop him up. Then, Peter fiddled with some controls and Flash's bot went flying over their own, landing on its back on the other side of the ring. Tony let out a whoop of pride, as he hasn't realized their robot was capable of that. To add insult to injury, Peter made their bot go back to Flash's and he used the claw arm to pick it up by the tire and swing it around a couple times before letting it fall back onto the ground of the ring and smash into pieces.

People cheered and clapped at Peter (and Tony's) stunning victory, and Peter found himself surrounded by friends, parents, and teachers who offered him their congratulations and praised him on his handiwork. Eventually, the crowd died down a bit and it was just Peter and Tony chatting about school and winning the match, having cleaned up their station already.

That is, until Flash came over and decided to run his big mouth. Flash approached them with a nasty smirk on his face and his dad right behind him.

"Hey Penis, you might have won but at least I have my real daddy with me. What, the other one couldn't make it?" Flash taunted, laughing.

Peter responded timidly, "Just leave me alone, Flash."

Flash just laughed again and said, "Maybe next time when they a Mommy-Daughter competition you can bring your real mom to that. Oh, wait! You don't have one of those either!"

Tony had had enough by that point.

"Flash, why don't you just shut your idiot mouth and scram!" Tony said angrily, his fists balling up and face getting red.

"Hey,"Carl said,"Don't talk to my son like that!"

"I'll stop talking to him like that when he learns to behave like a normal human being and stop going after other people to make himself happy. I'll stop when you teach your son some manners!" Tony barked back.

"Flash was right, the both of you are pathetic. Just two orphans playing house," Carl spit back.

"That's it!" Tony shouted, and then grabbed Peter by the arm, storming past Flash and his dad.

"Don't talk to me or my son ever again! If you do, my lawyers will own your ass!" Tony shouted at the top of his lungs behind them.

-

Peter was pulled out the doors of his school and out into the parking lot. Mr. Stark stopped them when they reached his orange Audi, where they both got into the car. Peter could see that Mr. Stark was still angry. Peter himself was still reeling over the fact that Mr. Stark had called him his son in front of an entire gym full of people.

Like yes, Peter had been considering Mr. Stark his kind of father figure. He knows that it's disrespectful to Uncle Ben and his own dad, but at least he has someone to support him, right? He likes to think that Uncle Ben and his dad would be happy that someone is taking care of him like Mr. Stark is. But Peter was also really happy that Mr. Stark cared about him like a son (he had just said so!!) and right now the happiness was outweighing the guilt.

Peter was silent as they drove, trusting Mr. Stark to bring him somewhere safe, even if it wasn't the compound or his apartment. But Peter was surprised when they pulled into the parking lot of an old diner, with a flickering neon sign and dust on the windows.

"It doesn't look like much, kid, but it's got greasy food and good milkshakes and that's what we need right now," Mr. Stark said, seemingly reading Peter's mind.

They entered the shop, a small bell singing to alert the staff to their arrival. A teenage girl in a waitress uniform is standing by a booth with two menus, chewing gum and blowing bubbles with it. Peter checks his watch when he realizes they're the only two people in the whole restaurant. 11:32. This place must have been far away from Midtown Tech. They take a seat and Peter glances at the menu, not that hungry but enough to eat. They sit in silence for awhile before the girl comes back to take their order.

"I'll have the hamburger combo with a strawberry milkshake," Mr. Stark says.

"And I'll have the cheeseburger combo with no onions and extra pickles along with a Neapolitan shake," Peter says after.

The girl nods and finishes writing one last thing down before she leaves. Suddenly, Mr. Stark turns to Peter. 

"Peter, I know you definitely heard what I said in there. And I hope you know it's true. Now, my own father was not... He wasn't the winner of the father of the year award. And I'm not trying to replace your dad or your Uncle Ben or anything, but I want you to know that I love and care about you as if you were my own, Mr. Stark said nervously.

Peter was shocked at this sudden confession. He had been secretly thinking that Mr. Stark was like his father that he never had, but never in a million years would have predicted that that the billionaire would feel the same. He suddenly broke out into a megawatt smile.

"Mr. Stark, you're like the dad I never had. Everything you do for me means so much to me and I love you so much too," Peter said happily.

Then, their food arrived and their conversation stopped. They spent the rest of the time in silence, eating (read: scarfing down) their food. Peter was almost done with his meal when Mr. Stark looked at him and smiled, then began to talk.

"You're the best kid I've ever met, Pete. Anyone who knows you is lucky to have you."

-

Tony walked out of the restaurant with his arm wrapped around Peter's shoulder, the two of them laughing and chatting without a care in the world.

He had never been happier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, I’m really sorry this got out a day late, but I was at a concert last night and wasn’t able to post. Hope you all enjoyed, and don’t forget to comment and leave kudos!! Next week’s chapter is the little extra bit!!
> 
> (Hint: It contains Team Cap)


	7. Confusion for Team Cap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter y’all!!
> 
> Here is the playlist that goes along with this story: https://open.spotify.com/user/hannahlikestacos/playlist/3agU14oZTd87kepQPLxGmR
> 
> Also hit me up on Tumblr to scream about Tom Holland and Spider-Man: hannahlikesholland

Peter and Mr. Stark had been hanging out more now since they had their talk. A couple months has passed, and after the initial shock of seeing Mr. Stark at the robotics competition, Flash and everyone else had kinda gotten use to seeing Mr. Stark pick up Peter from school. Mr. Stark had made sure that the news of what he called Peter had not gotten out to the news, and had a talk with Flash and his dad. Flash didn't bother Peter anymore, and he was even trying (in his own way) to be nice to both Peter and Ned.

Ned had come over to the compound a couple times, and he had even gotten himself banned for a week after creating a small (read: property-damaging) explosion in the lab when he and Peter were messing around. All in all, life was going good for Peter and he still did call Mr. Stark "Dad" on occasion.

However, he knew that Mr. Stark was dealing with stuff that he didn't like to tell Peter about. All Peter knew about it was that it had to do with one Steve Rogers and his team of wanted superheroes. They were discussing bringing them back legally and dropping all charges if all of them signed the newly reformed Accords. MJ had been going on rants about the Accords for a while now, but had informed Peter that she approves of the reforms Mr. Stark made and to tell him that. He told Mr. Stark, albeit a little confusedly, and Mr. Stark just laughed and said something under his breath about MJ. Peter still wasn't sure what to make of that.

-

Peter had gotten ~~home~~  to the compound after school one random Tuesday, and walked in with his headphones on, blasting Arctic Monkeys. Happy had pulled out of the driveway and drove off oddly quickly after dropping Peter in front of the doors. Peter just shrugged off and wandered into the kitchen, looking for a snack. He was hopping along to the music, not really paying attention to anything.

"I'm home, Dad!" Peter shouted out, opening the fridge doors and singing along to the music coming from his headphones.

He pulled out an apple and bit down as he turned around to face the kitchen. The bite fell out of his mouth as he saw the entire Avengers team gathered around the table, Mr. Stark included. Mr. Stark winced as the apple bite fell out of his mouth and onto the floor.

"Hey, kiddo. I guess this is the perfect time for introductions," Mr. Stark said, sighing.

"Everyone, this is Peter Parker, he's my intern and also Spider-Man. Peter, this is everyone, I'm sure you already know who they are," Mr. Stark said.

"Uh, hey everyone," Peter said, managing a small wave.

The Avengers just sort of waved and smiled back. He could see Black Widow staring at him with a critical eye and the Winter Soldier (holy shit, _the Winter Soldier!!_ ) was also eyeing him warily. Peter just stood and smiled awkwardly before Mr. Stark spoke again.

"Kid, pick that apple piece up off the floor, then head to your room, okay? We've still got stuff to discuss."

"Okay, Mr. Stark. Don't forget, the robotics showcase is in a couple weeks and the decathlon competition in Jersey City is this week, and you said you'd be coming to both."

Mr. Stark gave a small smile and said,"Kid, you've told me all this everyday for the past week. I've got my schedule cleared out both nights and I've got alarms set. I won't forget- I'll be there."

"'Kay, I'll be in my room doing homework."

With that, Peter walked out of the kitchen and to his room, leaving behind the gobsmacked Avengers. Staying true to his word, he sat down at his desk and connected his speakers to his phone, playing his music while he did his homework.

-

Peter had been in his room for a while, and soon Sam was sent to fetch him for dinner. Sam assumed that he was in one of the guest rooms, so he headed to that wing of the facility. Funnily enough, all the guest rooms were unoccupied.

"Hey FRIDAY, where's Peter?"

FRIDAY replied that Peter was in his room, which was located in the Avengers wing of the compound, and it was the room between Tony and Wanda. Sam hurried over there, eager to see what the kid's room looked like. He definitely was not expecting what he found.

The walls were red and blue and one of them had the Spider-Man logo painted on it in black. There were Star Wars and science posters littering the walls (all framed in very expensive frames, of course) and the kid had Star Wars bedsheets and giant bookcases that were crammed full with fully built LEGO structures and science/comic books. Peter was sitting at his desk, listening to music. His desk was the same kind of controlled chaos, with figurines and books and papers littered all over. Sam looked at the ceiling as he walked over to the kid, noticing that the Milky Way was painted on it. The kid even had his own en suite and walk-in closet too!

All the other Avengers' rooms were painted in the same colors, with the same furniture and yes, an en suite and walk-in closet. Sam thought those were Avengers only perks however, and realized that Peter got those perks and more. Tony never personalized their rooms, leaving them to add plants, knick knacks, or books to make the space "theirs". Sam shook his head as he tapped the kid on the shoulder.

"Hey kid, it's time for dinner, let's go," Sam said loudly, trying to be heard over the music.

Peter whipped his head around and held his arm out, his fingers almost pressing a button in the middle of his palm. As soon as he saw Sam, he lowered his arm and looked at him in awe.

"Wow, hey, you're the Falcon, wow, that's so cool, I'm Peter-Man, I mean, Spider-Parker, I mean, uhhhh-"

Sam cut the kid off with a fond smile, immediately charmed by his awkwardness.

"I know who you are Peter, but it's dinner, you can introduce yourself properly over Natasha's surprisingly good lasagna."

Peter gave a small nervous chuckle and got up, following Sam out the door, practically bouncing off the walls. They entered the dining room and Peter practically fainted at the sight of all the Avengers sitting down, eating and laughing together, albeit a bit awkwardly. Peter took a seat next to Tony.

-

Peter took a seat next to Mr. Stark and reached for a giant helping of lasagna. Thank god Natasha (was he allowed to call her that?) made a ton. Natasha saw Peter's guilty face and laughed.

"Easy, Spider-Kid. I know how to feed super soldiers, you think a little bitty bug is gonna stop me?”

Peter blushed at that, but could tell Natasha was teasing him kind heartedly, so he gave her a small smile. Then, he turned to Mr. Stark and began telling him about his day, like he always did during dinner. The others around them were chatting, or so Peter thought. It took him a little while to realize that they were all staring at him and Mr. Stark, and also actively listening to him ramble on about his boring school day. Peter cut himself off and let out a nervous laugh.

"So, Stark, is this one yours?" Sam asked, smirking.

Rhodey and Bruce made eye contact with each other across the table. This was going to be fun.

Mr. Stark glanced down at Peter, who gave him a small wink. Just a little hazing.

"Umm, sure," he said nonchalantly.

Team Cap looked around at each other, wondering what to think.

"Is he like, yours yours?" Steve asked tentatively.

Peter gave a small chuckle under his breath. This was gonna be good.

"Oh, kid, look at the time! It's time for you to go to Aunt May. Grab your stuff, and please remember a jacket this time. I don't need to be calling your school again to explain that you got the flu from not wearing your jacket outside in the middle of a freezing New York winter!" Mr. Stark said cheerily.

Peter nodded, and ran back upstairs to his room, grabbing his backpack and of course, a jacket. He could still hear them grilling Mr. Stark in the kitchen below.

-

Peter returned to the compound a few days later, and immediately headed to the common room, planning on plopping down and dong his homework on the couch as a TED talk played in the background. What he was not planning on, however, was a giant Avengers Mario Kart showdown.

He walked into the common room to find bowls and plates of snacks everywhere, and all the Avengers (minus Bruce and Mr. Stark, of course) huddled around the TV, cheering on the two finalists, it seemed. Scott and Bucky were the two finalists. Clint, Sam, Wanda, and Vision were on Scott's side, while Natasha and Steve were on Bucky's side. It seemed that Scott was the better player, but Peter took pity on Bucky, so he headed over to his side to cheer him on. He dropped his backpack by the couch, then plopped down next to Natasha.

"Hey guys," Peter said.

"Look everyone! Spider-Kid is here," Scott said without looking away from the game.

Scott was in the lead with Bucky right behind him in 2nd. They were on the final lap, and everyone held their breath as they neared the end, Bucky having one last bomb left. Scott has no power-ups, so he was driving on skill alone. Bucky aimed his bomb and-

"THREW IT BACKWARDS? BOY IF YOU DON'T-" Natasha screamed, throwing a pillow at Bucky's head.

The rest of them, Peter included, were laughing their asses off at the two, and didn't even notice Scott zoom through the finish until he got up and did a victory dance. The rest of his "team" joined in, even Vision who was just nodding his head and smiling. Then, Scott turned to Peter.

"I saw you eyeing the TV, Spider-Kid. You're young, you must know this game. I challenge you to a Grand Prix. Winner takes the title of 'Ultimate Avengers Mario Kart Champion’. We'll even take a picture and everything," Scott said, taunting Peter.

Little did he know that Peter was the reigning champ in the Leeds-Parker Mario Kart competitions, beating Ned, his dad, his mom, and Aunt May. He was the best, and he knew all the tricks.

"You're on, old man. Prepare to be crushed."

-

Tony was working in the lab with Bruce when FRIDAY suddenly spit out an announcement.

"Sir, it seems as if Mr. Parker has been challenged to a 'Mario Kart Grand Prix' by Mr. Lang. Just thought you ought to know."

Tony exchanged an amused glance with Bruce.

"Thank you for telling me, FRIDAY. We'll be right up."

Tony and Bruce hurried up the stairs and into the common room. They arrived just in time to see Peter settle down next to Scott, taking Bucky’s place. Tony and Bruce crowded in on Peter’s side and began cheering him on as the race began. Peter zipped ahead, taking first no problem. However, Scott was right behind him, throwing any power-up he could get at the boy in front of him. Tony watched with bated breath as Scott came close to overtaking Peter. Thinking quickly, the teenager threw a banana behind him as he did a sharp turn, and Scott was unable to avoid it. He was stopped, and began again in 5th place. Tony whooped.

“That’s my boy!” He shouted.

Peter turned and gave him a big smile as he won the first race. Tony felt his heart swell as he saw his smile, and punched Peter lightly on the shoulder.

“Crush him hard, kiddo,” Tony said.

-

Steve stared down at his phone in shock. Peter had posted the photo of him wearing the “Ultimate Avengers Mario Kart Champion” crown and standing between all of the Avengers. The caption read, _You know it. I’m the best._ Peter’s Instagram account was small, as he was only followed by friends and classmates, and he was private. Tony had commented “That’s my boy” and liked it. Tony never did anything on social media, he had a person to take care of that for him. That means that he must have notifications on for Peter. He didn’t do that for anyone, not even Pepper.

Steve thought to himself, “Who is this kid?”

(He also saw a mildly troubling comment by some account named @memelord_flash, but he relaxed when he saw that Sam, Scott, and Wanda had all already replied. He added one too, though, for some insult to injury.)

-

The next time Peter was at the compound, it was karaoke night. Peter groaned as he heard Karen announce that it was time to meet in the common room. He shoved his Spanish homework away and grabbed his phone, marching downstairs wearing his Stark Industries hoodie.

“Do we have to do this?” He whined.

“Yes, Peter, as it is helpful in the team bonding process,” Vision helpfully replied.

Peter groaned again and sat down on the couch next to his dad, curling in on himself in his large hoodie.

“This is gross, Dad,” He whined again.

Tony just laughed and ruffled his hair. This karaoke night was a competition, to be judged by Bruce, Pepper, and Happy, who were also in attendance tonight. Some people were duetting, while others decided to go solo.

Natasha and Clint were up first, with a cutesy of rendition of “If I Didn’t Have You” from Monsters Inc. They did a fairly good job, as Natasha was a really good singer and Clint wasn’t so bad himself. Everyone clapped politely when it ended and they took a few bows.

Next up was Steve, who sang “Sweet is the Word for You” by Bing Crosby. Steve was good at singing along with drawing, and he loved to stick with his favorites from his youth.

Bucky, on the other hand, was actually enraptured with current (or at least, semi-current music) and stunned everyone with a near perfect cover of “Power” by Kanye West. Everyone was left gaping in shock after he finished.

Wanda was next, doing a cover of “Fergalicious”. She got pretty into it, but she wasn’t that good of a singer, so it was just an okay performance.

Rhodey came next, with some effort put into singing “You’re Welcome” from Moana. He did pretty good, considering he forgot about karaoke night and picked that song on the spot.

Vision went next, doing a completely monotone version of “Part of Your World” from the Little Mermaid. (Needless to say, he will not be winning).

Scott went right before Peter and Tony, who had decided to duet. His performance was the one that shocked everyone the most because he had to have planned this weeks in advance. He sang “Toxic” by Britney Spears, and as he was singing the song exactly as she sang it, his 3 friends popped out from behind him, dressed as Britney from the video. They danced around him doing choreographed moves. He finished with some of his own choreography and everyone gasped at him and his friends. Then, they began to clap, because you couldn’t just not clap at something like that. They all took bow, then sat down. Scott’s friend Luis immediately began talking his ear off as soon as they sat.

Finally, it was Peter and Tony’s turn. They walked up, and Peter got a little nervous, playing with the sleeves of his hoodie. As Tony picked out the song, he whispered to Peter some advice.

“Remember, just like we practiced. And don’t worry about the team, you know they won’t judge you. You got this, kiddo!”

Tony finished setting it up, and then the music started. The team gasped as they soon realized what it was.

“I got chills, they’re multiplying,” Tony sang.

Peter psyched himself up for his part as Tony continued to sing, watching the team’s shocked expressions with a hint of amusement. Suddenly, it was his turn.

“You better shape up,” he sang, his voice carrying across the room. Peter had to admit, he didn’t believe it when Tony told him, but he had a pretty good voice.

The two continued the song, harmonizing and making true music. When they finished, the team sat shocked for a second before bursting out into applause and even giving them a standing ovation. Pepper, Bruce, and Happy even stood, which indicated an obvious winner.

Peter got to take another picture, this time with just him and Tony wearing little crowns and holding microphones, smiling like idiots. He posted that one too, with the caption _“I’m always happy to sing with my dad, especially when we beat the rest of the team (That means you, Scott!)”._

-

Steve and Natasha were sitting together on Natasha’s bed scrolling through stuff on their own individual phones. Suddenly, Natasha felt a small tap on the back.

“Nat, look at this!” Steve said.

She turned to look at his phone, where the picture Tony and Peter had took was posted to Peter’s (thank god) private account. She read the caption silently, then turned to look at Steve.

“So what does this mean? Is Peter really his child?” Steve implored.

”I don’t know, Steve. I don’t fucking know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that’s a wrap for this story!! I hope everyone enjoyed it! Comment if you have any suggestions for me to write, or if you want to see some more from this universe or another. I also have some various Spider-Man: Homecoming one-shots on my profile, so go check those out if you want more for right now!! Thanks so much for reading!


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